Explosive powder.



ED STATES PATENT onnron,

JOHN L. DONNER, OF OREGON CITY, OREGON, ASSIGNOR, BY DIRECT AND MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO JOHN BROSNAN, JB., OF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.

EXPLOSIVE POWDER.

No Drawing.

skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to explosive powders, but more particularly to high explosives and bursting powders, and the invention has for its object to provide powders of this class which are safe to manufacture, free from injurious eflects upon operatives during the process of manufacture, and insensitive to a very safe degree.

A further object of the invention is to produce explosive powders of the high explosive or bursting type which can be uniformly and completely detonated by a detonating fuse and which possess the greatest degree of strength compatible with the conditlons under which the powder is employed A further object of the invention is to provide an explosive powder of this type which will not be decomposed when same is hermetically sealed and subjected to a temperature of 65.5 C. for an appreciable length of time, and which will retain its properties under moisture when with ordinary care. 7

A further object of this invention is to provide an explosive powder of this type handled which has no injurious efiect upon the ordinary metals and which will not deteriorate or undergo chemical change in storage;

A further object of this invention 1s to produce an explosive powder of this type which can be produced in large quantities in practically any locality, which is simple, cheap and easy to manufacture, and which is eflicient in the greatest degree.

- A further object of the invention is to provide an explosive powder of this type which can be loaded in pro ect1les compactly by compression with no unusual danger and requiring no exceptional skill or special methods. I

With these objects in view the invention Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 6, 1917.

Application filed June 13, 1916. Serial No. 103,567.

consists in the novel mixture of chemical ingredients as will be hereinafter fully described.

In the production of high explosives and bursting powders according to this invention, I employ a moistening agent such as water, potassium chlorate, manganese dioxid, an organic matter soluble in water, and an oily substance such as crude oil.

By certain modifications in the relative proportions of the above ingredients, I am enabled to produce explosives and bursting powders having certain characteristics which adapt the powders to particular uses, but it is to be understood that this invention does not contemplate the use of a relatively large proportion of an oily substance or even a suflicient proportion thereof to render the composition wet or pasty, but on the other hand, I employ such a relatively small proportion of an oily substance that the presence thereof in the composition is negligible from a physical standpoint. The presence of an oily substance in the composition in a sufiicient quantity to render] the same damp or wet is a positive and de cided detriment to the explosive.

In the first place, as far as the explosive properties of the oily substance is concerned, it can be said to be a waste product in the corn-" position as it adds nothing whatever to the explosive properties of the mixture. On

the other hand it burns with a smoke, there-' The organic matter soluble in water, may

be any organic matter having high carbon content such as sugar, glucose and like organic substances preferably of a sticky chartent of manganese in action similar acter. This organic matteris dissolved in 2% of water and is heated to the boiling point for several minutes. The manganese dioxid is then added to this plastic mass while the same is hot and the oily substance is then added while the mass is still hot. The potassium chlorate is then added to the mass while still hot, the result being a stiff plastic mass, which can be readily granulated in the usual manner or otherwise formed. The mass is then dried at a. temperature of 80 F.

Powder produced according to Example 1 is a slow powder, detonating, progressive burning and safe. It is slow burning and to that of black powder except it is smokeless and gives ofi no poisonous gases. These characteristics particularly adapt the powder for use in blasting ordinary rock and for general mining purposes.

According to Ex'ample 2, I mix the above named ingredients according to the following formula, which produces an efficient powder for army work for'the construction of trenches, destruction of bridges, 'etc., as follows:

Moisture 2%,

Potassium chlorate 47%,

Manganese dioxid 2%,

Soluble organic matter 48%,

An oily substance such as crude oil 1%.

The powder made according to this formula, the ingredients of which are brought together in the order and in the manner in Example 1, produces a powder faster and more powerful than that under Example 1,

which is due principally to a higher con-' dioxid and potassium chlorate, and a lower content of the soluble organic matter. This powder according to Example 2 detonates with greater force than that under Example and burns with more flame.

According to Example 3 which is particularly adapted as a stump powder, I employ the ingredients according to the following formula:

Moisture 1%,

Potassium chlorate 49%,

Organic matter soluble in water 47%,

Manganese dioxid 2%,

Oily substance such as crude oil 1%.

The ingredients are mixed in the order and in the manner as under Example 1, and produces'a detonating powder having the same general characteristics as that under Example 2, but has morelifting power, is

faster than No. 2 and concentrates to a' that under Examples 1 and 2. These characteristics particularly greater extent than adapt the powder to the blowing up of stumps and for like and similar purposes.

According to Example 1 which is particularly adapted as a hard rock powder, I em- 1, is faster bursting.

proportion of potassium chlorate as com- 1 pared with the water soluble organic matter, and a powder this example has a greater bursting .force than those under the foregoing examples, and is, therefore, particularly suitable for use on hard rock where it is desired to disintegrate the same.

According to Example 5 which produces a powder of high explosive force and is particularly useful as a general engineering powder, the ingredients are brought together in the following proportions:

Moisture 2%,

Potassium chlorate 48%,

Organic matter soluble in water 46%,

Manganese. dioxid 2%,

Oily substance such as crude oil 2%.

Powder produced according to this example does not have to be confined, and for greatest efficiency should be of fine granulation.

According to the foregoing examples the manganese increases its bursting force. The potassium chlorate is what may be termed the base and main explosive content. The greater the content of chlorate and the less water soluble organic matter, the greater explosive force, but the more difficult to detonate. The greater the content of carbon and the less content of potassiumchlorate the more sensitive the powder. The presence of an oily proportions, and I do not consider myself limited to the exact proportions of the ingredients'as specified in the foregoing examples,

apparent thatv the innor do I consider myself limited to produced according to dioxid quickens the powder and substance such as crude oil acts as a cushion the use of the exact ingredients as herein mentioned, but I do consider myself clearly entitled to any changes in the relative proportions of the ingredients and in the use of any similar ingredients having thesame or like chemical characteristics. fore, consider myself clearly entitled to any andall such changes and modifications'as I, theremisses fall within the limit and scope of the appended claims.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is 1. An explosive powder including a mixture of the following ingredients: water, potassium chlorate, manganese dioxid, sugar and crude oil, the last mentioned element being in such proportion in'relation to the composition, so as to allow for a quick and ready drying of the same.

2. An explosive mixture, consisting of a chllorate manganese dioxid, sugar and crude o1 3. An explosive mixture consisting of particles of chlorate, manganese dioxid, sugar e and crude oil in which the crude oil forms an envelop around the individual particles of chlorate.

4. The herein described process of producing an explosive compound which consists in mixing sugar with Water and heating the same, then adding to the mass while hot manganese dioxid, then adding to the mass while hot crude oil, then adding to the mass while hot potassium chlorate and then drying the mixture.

In testimony whereof, I afiix my signature, in presence of two Witnesses.

JOHN L. BONNER. Witnesses:

JoHN L. FLETCHER, 0 HUGE Down. 

